Quantum Optics

6 EC

Semester 1, period 2

5354QUOP6Y

Owner Master Physics and Astronomy (joint degree)
Coordinator dr. R.J.C. Spreeuw
Part of Master Physics and Astronomy, track Advanced Matter and Energy Physics, year 1Master Chemistry (joint degree), track Molecular Sciences, year 1

Course manual 2017/2018

Course content

  • Classical EM fields, Poynting vector, complex notation, Jones vectors and matrices, the group SU(2), modes of the radiation field, cavities.
  • Interaction of a two-level atom with classical light fields, transition dipole moment, rotating wave approximation, Rabi flopping, density operator, quantum description of dissipation, optical Bloch equations.
  • Quantization of the EM field, the photon concept, Planck’s blackbody radiation, Fock states, coherent and squeezed states, thermal/chaotic states.
  • Coherence and correlation functions. First order coherence, interferometers for light and for atoms. Second order coherence, photon (anti-)bunching experiments. Quantum description of the beam splitter, photon statistics (Hong-Ou-Mandel effect), Schwinger representation
  • Interaction of a two-level atom with quantized light fields, Jaynes-Cummings model.
  • Brief introduction to quantum information processing from an experimental perspective.

Study materials

Literature

  • C. Gerry and P. Knight, 'Introductory Quantum Optics', Cambridge Univ. Press, 3rd printing, 2005. ISBN-:52152735X, ca. Euro 50.

Syllabus

Practical training material

  • Exercises on Canvas.

Other

  • powerpoint slides

  • Supplementary notes (syllabus) on Canvas

Objectives

Our goal in these lectures is to understand the quantum physics of light-matter interaction and the quantum description of light, in connection with experimental examples. After this course the student:

  • Can explain the characteristic features of atom-light interaction in the semiclassical approximation, both qualitatively and quantitatively; can name the key quantities and can explain how they are connected.
  • Can describe the similarities and differences between the semiclassical and fully quantized descriptions of atom-light interaction, can write down a prototypical full quantum Hamiltonian.
  • Is familiar with the concept of ‘coherence’ and understands how it is related to interference
  • Can describe the formal description of light fields in quantum optics, can explain the concepts ‘mode’ and ‘photon’, knows several well-known quantum states of quantized modes and can calculate their elementary properties
  • Masters the algebra of photon creation and annihilation operators and can use this to calculate photon statistics for some illustrative examples
  • Can explain the role of quantum optical concepts in a selection of modern experiments
  • Can describe the basic principles and concepts of quantum information, including qubits, coherence, entanglement and quantum gates; can name some of the experimental issues and efforts to implement these ideas

Teaching methods

  • Lecture
  • Self-study

Oral lectures, plus exercise classes. 

Learning activities

Activity

Number of hours

Zelfstudie

168

Attendance

Requirements concerning attendance (OER-B).

  • In addition to, or instead of, classes in the form of lectures, the elements of the master’s examination programme often include a practical component as defined in article 1.2 of part A. The course catalogue contains information on the types of classes in each part of the programme. Attendance during practical components is mandatory.

    • Assessment

    Item and weight Details

    Final grade

    70%

    Tentamen

    		Must be ≥ 5

    30%

    hand-in assignments

    Weighing with assignments is done only if exam grade is at least 5.0, and if weighing improves the final grade. If not, the exam grade counts as the final grade. 

    Assignments

    assignment 1

    • operator manipulation, special states

    assignment 2

    • coherent states, number states

    assignment 3

    • Rabi model

    assignment 4

    • Optical Bloch equations

    assignment 5

    • Jaynes-Cummings model

    assignment 6

    • beam splitters

    alle assignments worden becijferd. 

    Fraud and plagiarism

    The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

    Course structure

    Weeknummer Onderwerpen Studiestof assignments
    1 introduction, field quantisation Ch. 2.1-2.6; syllabus I.A-D  
    2 quantum vs. classical light Ch. 2.1-2.6, 3.1-3.6, App A.1; syllabus Sec. I assignment 1
    3 Rabi model Ch. 4.1-4.4, syllabus II.A-E assignment 2
    4 Bloch equations syllabus II, App. A.1-2 assignment 3
    5 Jaynes-Cummings model, dressed states Ch. 4.5-4.10; syllabus III assignment 4
    6 interference, coherence, beam splitters Ch. 5-6, 9.1-9.2 assignment 5
    7 entanglement Ch. 9.3, 11.1-11.3, 11.8.1, 11.8.3, App. B,D assignment 6
    8 question hour all exam

    Timetable

    The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

    Additional information

    Recommended prior knowledge: Bsc. courses Quantumfysica 1 and 2 (or equivalent) are recommended. Contact teacher when in doubt concerning prior knowledge.

    Contact information

    Coordinator

    • dr. R.J.C. Spreeuw